mrsgoggins

34 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Are the dishes (that state as such) now back to being carved or prepared at the table (e.g. Crepes Suzette)? I recall reading that it was one of the many “because of Covid” cutbacks, some of which have become permanent. We were on Cunard last week and a la carte dishes (inc flambé’d dishes) were prepared table side. Interestingly, there was also an evening cabin service every day (in addition to the morning) which included chocolates 🤔

I had Crepes Suzette prepared table side 2 nights ago on Ventura and my husband has the jamon Pata Negra likewise.  When I commented that the same dessert had been brought ready-prepared to the table on Iona in March, the server sounded very knowledgeable in telling me that having been a Covid measure, service had been back to normal for the last 2 Iona sailings and that it was now fleet wide.

A gift left in our room this morning on Ventura

The contents were x 2 but DH had his share immediately. He can have mine later (the G&T not the popcorn  😉). Nice gesture even though the mini canvas tote has a clear Made in China label inside.

3 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

We took a look at this offer last night and have decided not to book for the moment.

I thought that the prices looked a little high and when I checked the same cruise that we have booked for later this year with Princess Plus included it is 20% more next year for the same 2 weeks in the same cabin.

Interesting. My experience is also that you need to be cautious with these early prices, but I’ve ‘risked’ £2 on a Canaries cruise next year, deluxe balcony. I also priced up Britannia for earlier the same month, 2 days longer and slightly different ports. Britannia was about £100 more and included parking and £300 OBC whereas the Princess Plus package includes wifi, drinks and gratuities. DH makes use of the drinks package even if I don’t, but I enjoy the specialty coffees and mocktails etc. Not much in it but we do like Sky Princess.

3 hours ago, Grumpella said:

Alesund is cold and raining. Lol  3rd day of rain. Finally stopped raining at noon.

 

i would suggest if you are climbing the stairs, do first thing in the morning. We looked up at 10:30 and the stairs are at a standstill, packed with people.  There is an Aida ship here as well, so i’m sure this is adding to the crowds.

 

The hop on, hop off bus is also packed. We saw some stops where not everyone could get on the bus.

 

There is not much to do walking around town, very limited in the number of stores, pubs, etc..

 

We talked to several people who just walked around for a few hours and then went back to the ship.

 

On another note, I cancelled a shore excursion the other day and then received an email that my credit card was expired and wouldnt accept the refund. Which is not true. After talking to shore experiences staff, there are alot of customers that received this email due to a glitch. They told me to call after my cruise. I told them to figure it out, I’m not paying to call from America to get this fixed because of their “glitch”. So wait and see, but 208 pounds. Lol

Oh dear, miserable cold weather does not, in my book, go hand in hand with feeling good about a destination. We did a Fjords cruise last year (not with P&O) and loved it so much that we are repeating the experience with friends who have never cruised before, but we had fine weather.

I hope they get the ‘glitch’ sorted out for you soon.  On my first ever P&O cruise some years ago, after returning home we discovered that my husband had been charged for items from the ship’s spa. Once we had stopped laughing (he being a man whose personal hygiene routine is accomplished with help from a discount supermarket’s own brand shampoo, soap, toothpaste and deodorant; the cheaper the better!) it took me a few phone calls to get them to accept that he had never been anywhere near the spa, let alone made expensive purchases. Hopefully as you are not the only ones to experience this, they can sort it quickly for you 🤞

20 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Can only agree with our US friends. Breakfast is a big thing on Celebrity, RC and Princess.  Sadly P&O are a long way off competing in my experience although the eggs can be very good!

I really like the breakfast on P&O!  I like the fact that they serve 'proper' tea, that there are classy pots of Bon Maman jam and most of all, that toast comes in a toast rack and is therefore not soggy, unlike on US lines. And I've found P&O's eggs Benedict to be excellent. 

Like you, I am not a fan of Apex (sailed on her January last year) and so we are sailing on Silly back to FLL in October and then next April, we are returning with her to Amsterdam 😪 (we are not staying in Florida all that time though!). We especially value our Elites breakfast in Tuscan Grille on the S class ships.

I do hope that the OP is finding more things to like on Iona.  For me, like with Apex, it was a 'one time and done' ship, even though I know others really like it.

4 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

I'd agree with that, but to be honest Celebrity isn't perfect either and in the old days we preferred some P&O things to Celebrity.  Don't laugh, but we once discussed if Celebrity Silhouette was doing the same cruise as Oceana what would we do. We love(d) both ships and had a soft spot for both. It was a closer call than some people would imagine. (NO comments re baked bean cans before you all start!)

I could also give you things I prefer on P&O too 😉

3 hours ago, Presto2 said:

Do they ? We have always had to travel in August and never seen this happen. Am wondering if they saw us coming and ignored us !

 

To be fair to P&O there is a massive price difference between the 2 lines so it is unfair to compare surely?

 

Yes, I’ve seen the trolley coming round with tea and coffee in mornings in the buffet on Celebrity, but I couldn’t swear to it that it was on sailings out of Southampton. I do remember one highly entertaining Jamaican trolley guy who used to brighten everyone’s morning with his banter.

While I don’t disagree that there often a large price difference between Celebrity and P&O, once you factor in that you need a deluxe cabin to compare like with like (ie with sofa), that difference shrinks a little.

I keep a spreadsheet with costs of every cruise I have taken since 2015 (my first). This year, my first Celebrity cruise out of Fort Lauderdale cost £17 per person per night more than my recent Iona cruise.  On the Celebrity we had internet, drinks package, gratuities and $150 OBC included.
On P&O I had gratuities, parking and £150 of onboard credit included.  I purchased the internet package at £12 per night, taking the difference down to £5 a night!  Both cruises were purchased when they first went on sale.  
 

I do generally think that P&O provide good value however, and recognise the price difference is often large. Bargains are definitely to be had with inside cabins for example, as ‘from £495’ prices show.

It is interesting to hear of others’ experiences, even if they don’t gel with your own, and even more so when the passengers are from overseas.

3 minutes ago, Mollag said:

We told the maitre’d in the restaurant on Azura pretty much every night the food was being served cold but didn’t make one bit of difference for the 6 weeks we were on her and as for portion size they’d be better fed in a primary school. 
 

We have seen similar comments to those I have emboldened above so often that it’s difficult to ignore.
 

We are not foodies, have done many cruises with many companies (including P&O) and have been happy with them all food-wise but the size of many of the meals served in the MDR on last month’s Iona cruise elicited raised eyebrows from us. I have posted elsewhere about one of the first meals we had on board when we both chose the roast turkey dinner. It comprised largely of 2 thin slices of turkey, 1 piece of roast potato, 2 sprouts, and a small chip-sized piece of parsnip. The taste was good enough I should add. Some meals were better than others but we did have the distinct impression that the food budget had been cut, particularly with the more expensive protein part of the meals.

We did not go hungry of course, but that really isn’t the point, and nor is the ‘you can always request more’ suggestion. As has been pointed out, if it were a land-based restaurant, you just wouldn’t go back. 

I am due on Ventura again shortly and am hoping to notice a difference and make more positive comments.

19 hours ago, Grumpella said:

We had breakfast in the Pearl restaurant this morning. Food was ok. The food service was timely but as for getting coffee and juice refills, very slow.

 

I've seen a few 'ok' comments from you regarding the food and, as someone who was on Iona last month, I would definitely agree.  The refills situation for breakfast drove my husband insane, and I don't think it's that unusual to want at least 2 cups of coffee/tea with breakfast. Good luck going forward with that!

We did 2 Celebrity cruises back to back in January and the difference was startling.  Celebrity is our favourite line, and I don't claim perfection for it, but we always feel there is a buzz about the service levels and speed of servers, which is not present on P&O. However, we have always felt that P&O gave good value - but maybe not so much on our last Iona cruise when we were also in a deluxe balcony - and have more bookings ahead (and also with Celebrity).

Please do try Epicurean if you can, because that was really good, albeit at additional cost. I wish you a good experience and will read your posts with great interest.

15 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Dinner last night 

I'm now thinking Chops Grille, or at home but dining out?  I spy a side dish too, so I favour Chops! It's like a game, where can Graham be eating today? Coast and in-car McDonalds or somewhere fancy. Love it Graham - always makes me smile 💐

1 hour ago, daiB said:

I have to laugh about the complaints about the size of portions. The answer is very simple ask for more. The idea of going 35 nights without saying something to the waiters is crazy. 

My comment was about the number of times this is now mentioned. I doubt anyone feels they are underfed on a cruise ship ……. but, people do notice a difference, and I think that is the issue.

1 hour ago, daiB said:

Let’s hope you are on the Jan 3rd one as we can have a chat. This will be our 4th on Ventura and we love the ship.

👍 👍  

4 minutes ago, swanseaboy said:

Apologies if I have inadvertently upset anyone but I have come across one or two 'moaners' onboard too...

Me too, me too 😄!  I think you soon get a ‘feel’ for those online whose views you would share however.

49 minutes ago, david63 said:

Cannot speak about post Covid but we were on the last Ventura cruise pre lockdown which was 35 nights to the Caribbean and New Orleans.

 

I suspect that the post-Covid cruises have attracted more complaints largely due to staffing levels and (probably) a reduced food budget on some ships, hence the portion size reductions mentioned so often. I could be wrong of course, and things may be different on these 35-nighters next year 🤞

9 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

Where are the reviews? 

The banner along the top of the screen 'Member Cruise Reviews'.  Happy reading 😁

I've just scared myself to death by reading reviews of Ventura's 35-night Caribbean cruises!  I have one booked. Whilst I understand that the disgruntled are far more likely to share their experiences than the satisfied/happy, the reviews do seem a bit alarming, with only one exception.

Anyone care to share their post-covid experience of these longer cruises on Ventura?

58 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

We can always find something to do for a few hours - Ikea being one idea! 

😂 And that would be my husband's idea of a nightmare start to a holiday, but nice try!  I would need a good divorce lawyer.

1 hour ago, Ardennais said:

I can’t remember having radically earlier check in times when sailing with other lines - Cunard, NCL, RCI, FO, Carnival etc. 

 

I have a Princess cruise in my future with an 11 am check in time that I selected. 

I take your point about a hotel check in, but there is a difference.  I would aim to be at a hotel for the correct time. If the motorway closes in both directions, as has happened today on a motorway in this area, and I am headed to a hotel, it's inconvenient but nothing more - I arrive late.  If I'm headed to a ship, it could leave without me!  Hence the need to arrive early if travelling down on the day.

2 minutes ago, david63 said:

There are several legitimate reasons.

 

• Those who are travelling on the day by car and have a four/five (or more) hour journey cannot plan to arrive at a specific time as they have to allow for delays.
• Those who have to be out of their hotel by 11:00.
• Those who are travelling by train when the train arrives before their allotted arrival time.
• Even those arriving by coach can arrive before their allotted time.

 

As I have said elsewhere if P&O allowed passengers to select their time much of this could be alleviated.

Absolutely!

The one and only time we did the journey to Southampton in a day (from SW Lancashire) we were in Southampton McDonalds killing time from 10 am!  Fortunately this was 2021, when all ships were sailing less than half full, and not with P&O, so we boarded as soon as we arrived at the ship.

Every other time (and we have been frequent cruisers of late) we do an overnight at a Premier Inn with a check out time of noon, and yes, we could plan to be elsewhere - we have been to the NT venue at Mottisfont, and Peppa Pig World doesn’t appeal much - then you have the issue of leaving the car unattended with luggage, iPads etc, which we are not keen to do.

We next have a boarding time of 3.30 to 4 pm and all suggestions would be gratefully received, or it’s back to Mottisfont again 🙄

7 minutes ago, zap99 said:

If its a cruise, it isn't P&O. Prawns are not that big in MDR.

My guess is Chef's table on Royal Caribbean! 

6 minutes ago, purplesea said:

It's two weeks today that we board Arvia, and still  waiting to hear from the oncology department. I've now got the added stress of tying to get up to Southampton due to the train strikes!🙄

 

I sincerely hope you get some reassurance very soon and are able to enjoy your cruise stress-free.

23 minutes ago, DamianG said:

We're already counting down to our August cruise especially as it will be our first time back in the Mediterranean since 2018. This prompted us to make a classic P&O breakfast this morning. Happy Sunday all.

 

I'm very impressed, especially if you went to the trouble of making a hollandaise sauce from scratch 😇 

8 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I wonder why you think that would happen with P&O when it doesn't seem to happen with most other cruise lines sailing from Southamoton?

This exactly!  Last year we sailed with Celebrity and Princess out of Southampton and was able to choose our preferred boarding times in both cases. The Sky didn’t fall in.

3 hours ago, Ardennais said:

I can cope with this weather but any hotter and we would be wilting. Good job it’s our last stop! 

The forecast in my bit of south west Lancashire for this evening is 1°C so brace yourself for re-entry! May the blue skies and calm seas remain with you in the Bay of Biscay 🤞

5 hours ago, Vampiress88 said:

Feel poorly after coming back from the cruise. Hubby started on the last day and now I am. Feels like a head cold. Typical 

Sorry to hear that, it's a bit of a downer, so let's hope it's short-lived!  And at least you have time to be fully recovered for your Florida trip 💐

Thanks for all the interesting responses. Quite a few games mentioned about which I know nothing …… yet 😉

Anyone else still doing Wordle, Quordle etc?  I enjoy doing them (the dailies accompany my morning cuppa) but I've been trying - and failing miserably - to attain the 500 practice successes in a row with Quordle.  I did make it as high as 330 towards the end of last year but haven't got anywhere near that since.  You get on online 'Achievement' trophy if you manage it 😂. I know, I know ..... think of all the good books I could be reading, or stuff I could/should be sorting and chucking!

Worse still, I've just bought a new iPad, and my AlphaBetty word game has reset when I had completed all 920 levels ..... so here I go again .... 😁

It's not as bad as it sounds in my defence. I do much of this, apart from the dailies, when the TV is on in the evening and if it's something I'm not especially interested in.

Am I alone in my affection for online word games?